(Patent Document 1)
JP-A 2002-158656 (Patent document 1) mentions a technique for performing accounting according to communication quality. In this example, accounting of data is reported according to the time when an access router obtains the communication quality requested by a terminal to an accounting server. The terminal user is charged based on the communication quality and communication time when data was reported to the accounting server. The document however does not disclose how, after receiving the communication quality requested by the terminal, deterioration of the provided quality due to changes in the transmission path are dealt with. In the document, only QoS (IP QoS) control by three-layer protocols, such as RSVP and MPLS, is considered, and the QoS of a radio link layer is not taken into consideration in the example, either.
(Nonpatent Document 1)
In 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2), QoS (Quality of Service) control between the end points of a MS (Mobile Station) and a CN (Correspondent Node) ((3GPP2 and S.R0079-0 Version 1.0 (May 2004), p. 4 (Nonpatent document 1)), is discussed. A typical system configuration is shown in FIG. 1 of the appended drawings, wherein the system includes an IP network 1, a PDSN (Packet Data Service Node) 2, a PCF (Packet Control Function) 3, a BS (Base Station) 4, and an authorizing and accounting server 5. Since this server performs Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting, it is referred to by the symbol AAA. There are also a RAN (Radio Access Network) 6, and MS (Mobile Stations) 7 and 8. CN designates a node, which is a communication partner of the MSs 7 and 8.
(Nonpatent Document 2)
In 3GPP2, X.P0011-004-D, v.0.4 (July 2004), p. 4 (Nonpatent document 2), the flow of data from PDSN to MS is described. One example of the flow of data is shown in the appended FIG. 2. n flows 250 are transmitted in PPP sessions 251 and 255 between one PDSN and MS (Point to Point Protocol). Here, a flow is a sequence of IP (Internet Protocol) packets which a certain application transmits and receives, for example. The data between the RAN and PDSN are transmitted and received by a R-P (RAN-PDSN) session 252. The BS and MS communicate through the logical substance of one or more service instances (SI: Service Instance) 254. A SR_ID (Service Reference Identifier) is given to each SI as a unique identifier. The SI and PDSN are connected by a R-P connection 253. The R-P connection 253 of the same MS is transmitted and received in one R-P session 252. Also, in X.P0011-004-D, v.0.4, (July 2004), p. 45, an example of a call flow between the MS, BS/PCF, PDSN and AAA, which has set up a flow of a certain QoS, is shown.
A RSVP (ReSerVation Protocol) based on an IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) as an end to end QoS control system is known in the art. In RSVP, QoS control for every flow is performed using a group of parameters referred to as flowspec. RSVP is QoS control of the IP layer. In the MS and PDSN, mapping of IP QoS and a wireless link layer QoS is performed by 3GPP2, and QoS control between the MS is performed from the PDSN. The structure of a parameter between the MS referred to as QoS_BLOB is defined from the PDSN, and it controls the communication quality of the radio link layer.
(Nonpatent Document 3)
In 3GPP2, X.P0011-005-D, v.0.4 (July 2004) (Nonpatent document 3), p. 3, Section 3.1, an accounting method, wherein the PDSN generates a UDR (Usage Data Record) and sends it to a server, is disclosed. RAN 6 generates Airlink Records 9 containing the parameter related to the wireless link layer, and sends it to the PDSN2. The PDSN2 combines the parameter and Airlink Records related to the IP layer, generates UDR10 and sends it to the server 5.
Airlink Records are disclosed by 3GPP2, X.P0011-005-D, v.0.4 (July 2004) (Nonpatent document 3), pp. 5-8. In the prior art, a parameter showing the actually provided QoS is not contained in the Airlink Records, and there is no structure which notifies the provided QoS to PDSN2 or the server 5.
UDR is disclosed by 3GPP2, X.P0011-005-D, v.0.4 (July 2004) (Nonpatent document 3), pp. 8-10. Fields referred to as IP QoS (I1), Airlink priority (I4), and Granted QoS Parameter (I5) are specified as parameters expressing the QoS. The method of using I1 is not disclosed. In I4, a priority for every user is specified. In 15, a granted QoS for the flow is specified. In the prior art, there is a parameter showing what is contained in the UDR.
[Patent document] JP-A 2002-158656
    [Nonpatent document 1] 3GPP2 and S.R0079-0, Version 1.0 (May 2004), p. 4    [Nonpatent document 2] 3GPP2, X.P0011-004-D, v.0.4 (July 2004), p. 4    [Nonpatent document 3] 3GPP2, X.P0011-005-D, v.0.4 (July 2004), pp. 3, 5-10